Theory of Architecture

Geoffrey West is a theoretical physicist whose current interests are in using universal scaling laws to understand quantitatively the structure and dynamics of social organizations, such as cities and corporations, including the relationships between economies of scale, growth, innovation and wealth creation and their implications for long-term survivability and sustainability.

Nicholas Boys Smith is the Founder & Chairman of Create Streets, a social enterprise and multidisciplinary consultancy specialising in urban design, planning and regeneration. He was also Chair of the Advisory Board for the Government’s Office for Place & is an Academician of the Academy of Urbanism.

Dr. Chanuki Illushka Seresinhe is a leading figure in the data science community. She currently holds the position of Chief Data and Technology Officer at Boon, an organisation that integrates AI, psychology, and human expertise to address and solve meaningful societal challenges. Additionally, she is the co-founder of Beautifulplaces.ai, an initiative dedicated to generating informative data on the aesthetics of outdoor spaces. In her prior commercial role at Zoopla and Hometrack, Dr. Seresinhe leveraged machine learning and AI technologies to enhance user experiences and property valuations in the UK property market. Chanuki's commercial experience was first established during her tenure as a commercial data scientist at Channel 4, which laid the groundwork for her subsequent role as the Director of Data Science at Culture Trip. This podcast was recorded in June 2023.

Ann Sussman, RA, is an architect, author and researcher. Her books, including Cognitive Architecture and Urban Experience + Design, reveal the unconscious tendencies at work when we navigate the world around us. These ‘hidden’ predispositions reflect our long evolutionary trip per recent research in psychology and neuroscience, and can help explain why we favour certain urban conditions and building configurations and shun others. Understanding ourselves better, Sussman believes, can lead us to build more humanely and ultimately, more successfully for people.

Cleo Valentine is a systems designer, neuroarchitectural researcher and doctoral candidate at the University of Cambridge, Department of Architecture. She is also an associate at Cambridge Architectural Research Ltd. where she provides consultancy services on public health and architecture.